


Spare Me the Affection

by HourHand



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: M/M, One-Sided Attraction, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-15
Updated: 2015-11-15
Packaged: 2018-05-01 18:03:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,008
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5215412
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HourHand/pseuds/HourHand
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Yamaguchi notices everything about Tsukishima. It's only natural that he noticed the way his closest friend treated him as of late, albeit reluctantly.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Spare Me the Affection

Yamaguchi wasn't stupid. Academically speaking that much was obvious. He was in a college preparation class and obtained a steady influx of good grades. But his intelligence ran further than his ability to recite the capitals of countries or solve an equation in a timely manner. Yamaguchi had insight. He understood people almost intuitively. Of course there were moments where he doubted himself. Where he disregarded his impromptu conclusions about others under the belief it was a silly hunch but he possessed the ability none the less.

This ability was particularly profound when regarding Tsukishima. They had been friends for a long while and objectively speaking Tsukishima wasn't easy to understand nor communicate with. But what Tsukishima lacked in verbal communication Yamaguchi compensated for in the ability to translate Tsukishima's actions, however small. He could see the distaste when he cut his eyes to the corner. He knew to leave him be when he turned up the volume of his music to maximum. They were small gestures but Yamaguchi understood them well. He had unknowingly depended on this skill for as long as he had known Tsukishima. 

Lately however Tsukishima's actions made his subconscious reach a conclusion that didn't sit well with him. So much so that it was yet to be fully understood by his consciously playing thoughts. Something was off and it brought a sense of discomfort along with it.

It first crept it's way into Yamaguchi's head when Tsukishima had slowed down on their walk back home despite being in an unapproachable mood. He was accommodating Yamaguchi's walking pace. That alone was unusual even on a good day. Today was not a good day. Tsukishima hadn't spoken all day. Not to make a biting remark, not to ask him to lunch, not even to respond to his senpai during practise. Yet he made an effort to walk with Yamaguchi. Yamaguchi should have been ecstatic but instead a feeling of dread was there to sit at the bottom of his stomach and nag him for the rest of the walk home.

Another occasion in which the loathsome feeling returned was when Yamaguchi was short in change for buying a drink and Tsukishima had handed him the extra money without a second glance. Yamaguchi had thanked him of course but the sinking feeling promptly followed his purchase.

These kind gestures seemed to become more frequent. It's not as if Tsukishima had never done anything decent for him before it was just that now something felt different. Now Tsukishima had reasoning. 

He wanted to ask why. He convinced himself that he wished to inquire so that he could satiate his curiosity. That wasn't the case. In truth Yamaguchi knew. Sure it only manifested itself as a fleeting thought in Yamaguchi's mind. One which he quickly disregarded the moment it had cropped up. But the truth had come to him; he just didn't want to admit it. He desperately wanted Tsukishima to set him straight. That in reality Tsukishima had been more generous because he won a large sum of money, or maybe he'd been having good fortune as of late. Anything. Anything but the possibility that Tsukishima harboured distinctive affection for him. Affection he could not return. 

It was this train of wishful thinking that lead him to ask when walking home one evening.

"Tsukki" 

Yamaguchi stopped short of the question planned. He let the 2 syllables hang in the air as nervousness washed over him. Normally Tsukishima would disregard any conversational prompt. Especially one as lazy as that. 

"Hmm." Tsukishima hummed in response. 

"You've been really kind lately and" Once again Yamaguchi couldn't bring himself to speak in full sentences he just stopped. He continued to walk and he even let his mouth fall shut.

Thankfully Tsukishima didn't dignify that with a response.

"I was wondering why." The minute the words had left him he regretted them.

Tsukishima may have been forgiving lately but that didn't mean he would give response to such a statement. That's exactly what it was, a statement. A sentence devoid of any real inquiry. Tsukishima shouldn't feel any conversational obligation to respond. There would be no reason for him to respond.

Tsukishima looked over to him and they locked eyes. Yamaguchi's eyebrows were furrowed, he bit his lip and played with his hands. Tsukishima took all of this in and looked to the floor. Compelled only to raise his eyes to Yamaguchi by a very brief shake of his head. Tsukishima stood up straight and took in the almost terrified expression that donned Yamaguchi's features.

The feeling hit Yamaguchi tenfold and he was forced to acknowledge the possibility he had pushed down all along. Tsukishima liked him. He liked him in a way which made Yamaguchi fear. Fear for Tsukishima's sake. Maybe Tsukishima would be to shy to tell him. Maybe Yamaguchi wouldn't have to reject him. Maybe-

"Shut up, Yamaguchi." The phrase seemed unnatural. Which was ridiculous given that it was the sentence he had directed the most at Yamaguchi over their 5 years of friendship. 

The cat was out of the bag among them. The disclosure of a secret that should have brought a red flush to Tsukishima's cheeks and a twinge of foolish hope in his stomach. He wasn't flustered as he should have been; blushing from romantic promise.

Tsukishima had been naïve. Of course he had an inkling but one with no foundation. His lack of certainty had enabled him to be foolish. To believe that there was a chance. That it wouldn't hurt to let his affection show. 

He increased his walking speed and looked at Yamaguchi expectantly. Yamaguchi was quick to catch up however he used the position of Tsukishima's feet as a prompt to increase his speed rather than looking up to meet Tsukishima's stare. Tsukishima knew from the way Yamaguchi fixed his gaze on the ground and harshly gripped the bag at his side that neither of them had been salvaged from this turn of events. He knew this because Tsukishima wasn't stupid either.


End file.
